Ethics

...Miske and others conspired to obstruct an earlier criminal forfeiture proceeding by smuggling fentanyl into prison so that Miske could die by overdose and thereby thwart the forfeiture of his criminal proceeds, estimated at over $20 million....

...The issue:  Would voters favor Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami over incumbent Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke in the August 8, 2026 Democratic Primary race....

...The audit does not mention the $10,000 Luke initially accepted from lobbyist Tobi Solidum and his stepdaughter before Solidum fled the country....

... Keanu Sai must be very proud ....

... the plan is more aspirational than operational ....

... Luke's willingness to take money is why the ILWU and UPW support her ....

"...And so the fair thing to do would be to have the attorney general expedite an investigation...."

... Hawaiian Electric Industries was sued by investors who say it misrepresented steps the utility was taking to mitigate wildfire risks ....

... Otaguro admits HDoT has not sought a legal opinion from the Attorney General’s office on whether Act 152 really requires the project ....  

... CLUE: Refusal to answer = ‘Yes’ ....

"...Should Hilo Circuit Judge Henry Nakamoto grant deferred acceptance of Kenolio’s no-contest plea, the conviction will be erased from his record if he stays out of further trouble with the law for a year...."

... travel rewards earned through official state travel, such as frequent flyer miles and similar promotional benefits, may be retained by state officers and employees ....

"...the County's existing controls are not adequate to mitigate likely fraud risks because they do not cover significant areas of fraud exposure...."

... She accused Moon of forcing her to have sex with other men for his “pleasure,” starting in April 2024 and continuing until September 2025 ....

...manipulated computer records that tracked her time and attendance between October 1, 2021 and June 20, 2024, in order to receive more than $64,000 in unearned compensation....

... State Senators, July 29, 2021, rejected the nomination by a 6-17 vote after critics openly complained about Gluck’s ethnicity and gender.  ....

...The plan is to use AI to turbocharge HMSA's "oppressive and unconscionable" system for "overseeing care decisions." ....

...If Sylvia Luke is telling the truth, it means the $35K bribe recipient is still out there, unidentified....

"... DOBOR simply does not know whether it recovered from vessel owners or their insurers the costs it expended ..."

... lawmakers debated bills surrounding sports betting, legal rights for coral reefs and feral chickens, but an ongoing bribery investigation cast a shadow over the capitol ....

... ILWU, Senator Kurt Fevella, UPW Local 646, Back the Blue founder Wayne Kaiwi, Kurt Tsuniyoshi, Charlie Iona ....

... Deadline Extended to Submit Applications for State Ethics Commission ....

... Carpenters Union questioned donations Luke received from then-indicted Navatek head Milton Kao in connection with tax credits she supported in 2017 ....

... The lawsuit, filed in 2023, centered on allegations of discrimination during the recruitment for a Film Commissioner position ....

... When Gov Green leaves the state, Lt Gov Luke becomes acting Governor.  Maybe she might pardon herself ....

... Under Hawai‘i Revised Statutes § 28-8.5, Attorney General Ann Lopez has the discretion to appoint a special assistant ....

... HART’s counter suit includes a detailed analysis of how large-project government contractors manipulate the system to jack up costs ....

"She now has a helper who guides her around the Capitol and accompanies her to hearings"

... Despite evidence to the contrary, politicians continue to believe they can boost the economy through spending programs ....

... with unanimous support ....

"Around April 2019, Respondent acquired employment with AMR, while continuing to work in his state capacity at the EMS Branch"

"...Requester made two requests to the Department of Transportation, Airports Division (DOT) for copies of records concerning a two-year contract and an emergency Wiki Wiki contract...."

... more sovereignty scammers heading for the Big House ....

... Federal prosecutors couldn't make criminal bribery charges stick for a former Honolulu prosecutor and engineering firm executives, but civil versions of the claims may live to see another trial ....

... a "breeding ground for fraud" ....

... A mortality rate of 620 per thousand is something you might get with an atomic bomb ....

"OER’s priority was to create staffing capacity over economic recovery and revitalization."

... The non-existent FAA mandate is HDoT’s rationale for a $22.26M contract to replace the brand new systems ....

... CLUE: They already know who took the $35K.  Instead of just announcing the name, this is intended to keep it quiet at least until the session is over ....

... Normally Choy and Cullen wouldn't bribe a Republican because the Republican has only his own vote to sell.  It's not worth $35K.  But, in this case they were not operating 'normally.' ....

... Her previous roles include Child Protective Services investigator ....

... two clues ....

... the public nature of the existence of this federal investigation is unique because of the disclosure of a previously sealed document ....

... the twenty-three currently serving House members who held office in 2022 publicly affirm that they are not the lawmaker referenced in the United States Attorney's pleading ....

... massive pay hikes drive bloated spending ....

...Hawaii ranks first nationwide, recording approximately 1,482 AI-essay-related searches per 100,000 residents. The state stands out as a clear outlier, with significantly higher interest than the rest of the country....

... Applications due by January 23, 2026 ....

...The Hawaiʻi Office of Consumer Protection was assisted in this action by L. Richard Fried, Jr. and Patrick McTernan of Cronin, Fried, Sekiya, Kekina & Fairbanks and Emmy Levens, Molly Bowen, and Diane Kee of Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC....

... Civil Service often results in rigid and time-consuming recruitment processes that make it difficult for the City to attract and retain qualified professionals ....

... information to purge allegedly fraudulent recipients ....